Press Release
August 29, 2008

National Archives to Host Symposium Lincoln and American
Values on September 20

More Information

Washington, DC…The National Archives celebrates the bicentennial of Abraham
Lincoln’s birth with a daylong symposium Lincoln and American Values on
Saturday, September 20 from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. in its William
G. McGowan theater. The symposium will provide historical insight into some of the most critically
important facets of Lincoln’s Presidency. Registration is free
for working members of the press, but must be made in advance.

Lincoln and American Values is generously supported and presented
in partnership with the Foundation for the National Archives and endorsed by
the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission.

Lincoln and American Values Symposium
Welcoming Remarks, 9:30–10 a.m.Allen Weinstein, Archivist of the United States, Lonnie Bunch, director, National
Museum of African American History and Culture, and Harold Holzer, co-chairman,
Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission.

Lincoln and the Constitution. 10–11:30 a.m.
Lincoln regarded the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution as living in dynamic harmony with each other. The formal structure of the Constitution, he believed, was intended to serve the larger interests of the principles
articulated in the Declaration. In so doing, Lincoln set a pattern that continues
to be debated to this day, as the Constitution and the Declaration are often
seen to be in conflict with each other. This panel will examine how Lincoln
could revere the Declaration without concluding that the Constitution was
an obsolete artifice which could only be rendered “living” by
judicial action. Moderated by Harold Holzer, co-chairman, Abraham Lincoln
Bicentennial Commission and author of Lincoln at Cooper Union, panelists
include Frank J. Williams, co-author of The Emancipation Proclamation:
Three Views; Michael Vorenberg, associate professor of history at Brown
University and author of Final Freedom: The Civil War, the Abolition
of Slavery, and the Thirteenth Amendment; and Brian Dirck, associate
professor of history at Anderson University, and author of Lincoln the
Lawyer.

Lincoln and Emancipation, 1:30–3 p.m.
The Emancipation Proclamation is Abraham Lincoln’s most sweeping Presidential
act. Although Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation have been revered as symbols of liberation,
understanding the Proclamation has often proven puzzling. Its legalistic language,
its multiple reservations and exceptions, its four basic versions, and its precise legal
standing as an exercise of the Presidential war powers, have combined to produce numerous interpretations
of the Emancipation Proclamation. This panel will discuss the competing views of Lincoln
and the Emancipation Proclamation. Moderated by Michael Vorenberg, panelists include
Edna Greene Medford, associate professor of history, Howard University and co-author of The
Emancipation Proclamation: Three Views; Frank J. Williams, co-author of The
Emancipation Proclamation: Three Views; and James Horton, Benjamin Banneker Professor of American
Studies and History, George Washington University and author of Slavery and the Making
of America.

Lincoln’s Legacy as Commander in Chief, 3:30–5 p.m.
As the only American President whose entire administration was surrounded by
war, Abraham Lincoln became one of the most active commanders in chief in American history,
directly influencing and managing events and generals in every field of operations during
the Civil War. The success or failure of his Presidency, and the future of the United States,
depended on how he performed as commander in chief. This panel will discuss Lincoln’s
legacy as the war-time President and his leadership of the Civil War, including his gradual mastery
of military strategy and tactics. Moderated by Tom Wheeler, author of Mr. Lincoln’s T-Mails:
The Untold Story of How Abraham Lincoln Used the Telegraph to Win the Civil War, the panel includes James L. Swanson, author of Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln’s Killer; Craig Symonds, author of Lincoln and His Admirals; and David Work, professor of history, Texas A&M University.

Registration information:

General Registration Fee: $45; Foundation for the National Archives members:
$35; Students/Educators/Seniors: $15. Make checks payable to the National
Archives Trust Fund. Send your name, address, e-mail address, and daytime
telephone number with a check to:

To pay by credit card, include card number, expiration date, and cardholder
signature. Fax this information to 202-357-5925 or call 202-357-5127. Do not
leave credit card information in the voice message; a staff member will contact you.